The 2024 Latin Grammys returned to Miami, Fla. for its 25th anniversary, airing live on Thursday (Nov. 14) via Univision, Galavisión, and ViX.
The evening gathered a wave of star-studded guests including Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera, who for a second consecutive year topped the list of nominees with nine mentions and won songwriter of the year and producer of the year.
Following Barrera are superstars Karol G and Bad Bunny with eight nominations each. The former was up for album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), the follow-up to her Latin Grammy-winning set of 2023’s Mañana Será Bonito. The latter had a nomination for record of the year with “Monaco.”
This year, artists like Alejandro Fernández, Ángela Aguilar, Becky G, Carín León, Eladio Carrión, Grupo Niche, Joe Jonas, Juan Luis Guerra, Kali Uchis, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, and Residente took center stage at the awards show.
For its 25th anniversary, the awards also incorporated a new field of electronic music, and two new categories: best Latin electronic music performance, and best contemporary Mexican music album.
“The Latin Grammys have grown in an amazing way to become a fundamental platform for music and culture,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, in a press release. “We are proud to share this year’s nominees, an international and diverse group of creators representing the richness and vastness of today’s Latin music.”
As memorable speeches, eclectic performances, and coveted awards took place during the live telecast, Billboard was behind the scenes gathering all the action that happened on the red carpet, inside the venue, and in the media center.
Below, check out things you didn’t see on TV at the 2024 Latin Grammys:
Trueno’s Latin Grammy Win from the Sidelines
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
During the Latin Grammy Premiere ceremony, Argentine rapper Trueno was unable to enter the venue to accept his award for best Urban/Fusion Performance for his song “Tranky Funky” because he arrived drinking mate, a traditional South American infusion. Trueno, undeterred, celebrated from outside, sharing his experience on social media. “Here’s the first artist to win a [Latin] Grammy without being able to enter the awards,” he said, “Here drinking mate here at the door, and they won’t let me in, but we won!” he said, delighted with the unexpected turn of events.
Sky Rompiendo’s Exciting Projects
Colombian hitmaker Sky Rompiendo — a two-time nominee at the 2024 Latin Grammys for “Cielo” and Karol’s Mañana Sera Bonito (Bichota Season)—revealed that he was not only working on his debut album as artist-producer but also that he teamed up with Feid for a joint EP. Both sets are expected to drop in 2025.
Salsa’s Timeless Appeal
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
There were many special moments during the broadcast, including when Tito Nieves, Grupo Niche, Oscar de León, Marc Anthony, La India, Christian Alicea and Luis Figueroa all gathered for an epic salsa tribute. But it was also clearly an audience favorite, as they couldn’t resist the infectious rhythm. They instantly leaped to their feet, dancing with unbridled enthusiasm, and the atmosphere charged with palpable energy.
Eladio Carrión’s Special Night
Carrión was having a double celebration on Thursday night: One for being a three-time nominee including for best urban music album with Sol María, and two, because it was his birthday. On his special night, the Puerto Rican artist walked the carpet with his parents as his dates. His mom, and the inspiration behind his Latin Grammy-nominated set, told Billboard that she was very proud of having Eladio as a son — and even said that her favorite song on the album is “Mama’s Boy” with Nach.
Latin Stars Cover Classics for Parkinson’s Research
Image Credit: Pipes
During Latin Grammy Week on Wednesday (Nov. 13) at M2 Club in Miami, Los Producers party gathered nominees and winners such as Cimafunk, Fonseca, Juanes, Mon Laferte, Danny Ocean, Nicole Zignago, and more to raise awareness for Parkinson’s research. The event featured memorable covers by artists like Luis Fonsi singing “Heaven” by Bryan Adams, DannyLux with Café Tacvba’s “Eres,” The Warning singing Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” Joaquina rocking out to “Creep” by Radiohead, and Leonel García, who hyped up the crowd with “Take on Me” by A-ha.
The charity event, which raised $210,000, is part of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and also drew stars like Agirs, Bruses, Caloncho, Conociendo Rusia, Jay de la Cueva, and El David Aguilar.
David Bisbal & Kapo Meet
What seemed like a first-time encounter between the two, David Bisbal and Kapo are two artists who also greeted each other in the midst of being interviewed. Kapo was the first one to notice Bisbal at the carpet and rushed to him to say hi. The two immediately clicked, giving each other a tight hug and even shared a cute dance moment together.
Seven POTYs, One Stage
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
On the eve of the Latin Grammy Awards, the Person of the Year (POTY) gala recognized Carlos Vives for his substantial contributions to Latin music. The event commenced with an extraordinary showcase of talent as POTY alumni Juanes, Gloria Estefan, Juan Luis Guerra, Rubén Blades, Emilio Estefan, and Alejandro Sanz graced the stage to perform memorable renditions of Vives’ biggest hits. This collaboration of icons set the tone for the night, leaving the audience in awe as the stage buzzed with an unmistakable aura of star power.
Paty Cantú’s Fan-Girl Moment
At the red carpet, Paty Cantú paused her interview with Billboard because she saw Bizarrap with the corner of her eye and had to take a photo with him. “Excuse me, I’m a huge fan!” she told our reporter Jessica Roiz as she rushed to the Argentina hitmaker, introduced herself, and got her photo. “He’s my all-time favorite producer,” Cantú, who was a first-time Latin Grammy nominee, told Billboard.
Oscar D’León & Nathy Peluso Collab Underway
Image Credit: Ashley McKibben
During a panel discussion at Winston Baker’s International Music and Finance Forum, moderated by Billboard‘s Pamela Bustios, the Venezuelan music icon Oscar D’León announced an exciting collaboration with Spain-via-Argentina rapper/singer Nathy Peluso. This revelation was made as part of an event held during Latin Grammy Week, focusing on “The Future of Tropical Music.” The forum, in partnership with Latin music superproducer Sergio George — who was also part of the fireside chat — delved into the dynamic interplay between emerging artists and traditional Latin rhythms.
Party Like a Pro
Right before the Person of the Year gala in honor of Carlos Vives, Billboard Español snagged a moment with Latin Power Player and CMN founder/CEO Henry Cárdenas. He shared his seasoned insights on Latin Grammy party etiquette.
“The ‘do’ is to be happy and celebrate the triumph of these artists, especially Carlos Vives, whom I had the honor of bringing to the United States for the first time. I have worked with him for 15 years, since ‘La Gota Fría,’ and I am very happy that he is getting the recognition he deserves after so much effort and staying at the top,” he said. “The ‘don’t’ is that you have to be careful with the liquor, don’t overdo it too much.”
